How to Transfer WhatsApp Data to a New Phone

The reliable way to move WhatsApp from one Android phone to another is a Google Drive backup: back up your chats on the old phone, then restore them on the new one when you first sign in. You’ll need the same phone number and the same Google account on both devices. If both phones are in front of you, WhatsApp’s built-in QR-code transfer can copy everything directly, no cloud required.

Back up your chats to Google Drive first#

On the old phone, open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup. Tap Back up to save a current copy, and confirm an account is set under Google Account so the backup lands in Drive, not just on the phone. Turn on a schedule (daily, weekly, monthly) so your backup is never weeks out of date, and since media takes the most time, run it on Wi-Fi — WhatsApp backups don’t count against your Google Drive storage quota, so speed, not space, is the real constraint. This is separate from a full-device backup — if you want photos, apps, and settings to come along too, see our guide to backing up your Android phone.

Restore on the new phone#

On the new phone, install WhatsApp from the Play Store, open it, and verify the same phone number you used before. WhatsApp checks Google Drive for a backup tied to that number; sign in to the same Google account when prompted, then tap Restore. Let it finish before you start chatting — closing the app mid-restore can leave gaps. Your messages come back first, then media keeps loading in the background.

Or move everything with a QR code#

If you still have the old phone, you can skip the cloud entirely. On the new phone during setup, choose to transfer chats from an old Android phone; on the old phone, open Settings > Chats > Chat transfer, then tap Transfer chats to start it. A QR code appears on one screen — scan it with the other, keep both phones nearby and connected, and WhatsApp copies chats and media over a direct local link. It’s faster than a Drive restore and moves some data a backup can skip, but both phones have to be present at the same time.

Method	You need	Best when
Google Drive restore	Same number, same Google account, Wi-Fi	The old phone is already gone or wiped
QR-code transfer	Both phones present and nearby	You have both phones and want the fastest copy

Same number, and one note on iPhones#

Both methods assume the same phone number. Switching numbers too? Use Change Number inside WhatsApp before you move, or your account won’t match the backup. Moving from an iPhone to Android is a separate, more limited process handled through a guided in-app flow, and it won’t carry over everything a Drive backup would.

Once your chats are on the new phone and you’ve confirmed nothing is missing, don’t rush to erase the old one. Leave it untouched for a day or two in case a message or photo didn’t come across, then wipe it with a proper factory reset so no personal data is left behind. If you’d rather pull media off by cable first as a backstop, our walkthrough on moving files between Android and a PC covers that.